Swamp: President Barack Obama is not only field-testing his economic stimulus pitch in Indiana today and in Florida tomorrow - he also will see how it plays in Peoria.
On his way to Springfield, Ill., on Thursday to celebrate the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, Obama plans to stop in Peoria for a visit to the Caterpillar plant.
These trips are not so much a matter of explaining to people in Elkhart, Fort Myers and the like what's happening in Washington, the White House suggests, as it is a question of explaining to Washington what's happening in America - 15 percent unemployment in Elkhart, for instance.
"This is not explaining to Indiana what's going on in Washington,'' Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Elkhart today. "This is taking Washington to show them what's going on in Indiana and all over the country -- and why people are hurting....
"I think there's a myopic viewpoint in Washington,'' Gibbs said. "I think Washington needs to understand what happens in Florida, and Indiana, and Michigan, and Ohio, and Pennsylvania -- states that have seen huge in unemployment; 598,000 jobs -- 20,000 -- Americans lost 20,000 jobs a day last month. That's what we're highlighting.''
Monday, February 09, 2009
Obama Visits Caterpillar Plant in Peoria Feb. 12
Amid sky-high polls, Obama is on a making-Washington-D.C.-aware-of-what's-going-on-in-America tour. On Feb. 12, Obama will also celebrate Lincoln's birthday at a special bash.
